QUEEN TO BE HONORED AS ICONS AT BMI LONDON AWARDS
Outsized. Operatic. Magisterial. Queen defined a new type of rock superstardom. Vocalist Freddie Mercury, guitarist Brian May, drummer Roger Taylor and bassist John Deacon delivered drama, precision and, perhaps most of all, timeless songs. There are numerous BMI Awards between the four members, who are all songwriters with contributions to Queen’s repertoire, and consequently, the world’s collective pop culture. Mercury penned “We Are the Champions,” “Somebody to Love” and “Crazy Little Thing Called Love”; May composed “We Will Rock You” and “Fat Bottomed Girls”; Deacon wrote “Another One Bites the Dust”; and along with friend David Bowie, they all came together to write “Under Pressure.” Queen was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2001. In 2003, they became the first band ever to be inducted into the Songwriters Hall of Fame as a group rather than as individuals. The U.K. Music Hall of Fame welcomed Queen in 2004, while “We Will Rock You” and “We Are the Champions” have both been inducted into the Grammy Hall of Fame. Freddie Mercury died of AIDS in 1991; the following year, remaining members orchestrated the Freddie Mercury Tribute Concert for AIDS Awareness, and the Mercury Phoenix Trust (MPT) was established. To date, MPT has donated more than $15 million to the fight against AIDS around the world.
OOH LA LA! DARYL HALL AND GRACE POTTER MAKE BEAUTIFUL MUSIC TOGETHER ON LIVE FROM DARYL’S HOUSE ON EPISODE #45 OF AWARD-WINNING WEBSHOW
There’s a little bit of Paris and a lot of rock & roll when Hollywood Records recording group Grace Potter & the Nocturnals visit with Daryl Hall for the 45th and latest edition of Live From Daryl’s House, premiering Aug. 15 exclusively at www.lfdh.com. This month’s installment of the Webby and MTV O Music award-winning Internet series, which last year made its national television broadcast debut on WGN America to impressive ratings, will feature Potter, a collision of Tina Turner sass and vintage retro-glam, fronting the soul-infused, classic rock outfit with a decidedly modern bent. Formed at upstate New York’s St. Lawrence University, based in Vermont, Grace Potter & the Nocturnals have received numerous critical accolades, including being named One of the Best Bands of 2010 by Rolling Stone magazine.
The group’s self-titled album, their third major label release, produced by Mark Batson [Dave Matthews Band], featured the hit single “Paris (Ooh La La),” and debuted in the Top 20 on Billboard’s Top 200, reaching #1 on the iTunes Rock Album chart. GPN, known for playing over 200 shows a year, have built a loyal, dedicated fan base across the U.S. from their incendiary live concerts.
Potter recently made a special solo appearance at Los Angeles’s famed Hollywood Bowl, performing with Stevie Wonder, Sharon Jones and Janelle Monáe, among others. This summer, GPN made their debut on Bonnaroo’s main stage as well as at this year’s Lollapolooza festival in Chicago. The band will promote their first-ever Grand Point North Festival in Burlington, VT, on Aug. 13-14, then cap it all with a headlining show in New York’s Central Park Sept. 24.
GREGG ALLMAN CANCELS SOME LATE SUMMER TOUR DATES BENEFIT CONCERT RAISES OVER OVER A QUARTER MILLION DOLLARS FOR HEP C AWARENESS
GREGG ALLMAN CANCELS SOME LATE SUMMER TOUR DATES BENEFIT CONCERT RAISES OVER OVER A QUARTER MILLION DOLLARS FOR HEP C AWARENESS Upon his doctor’s orders, Gregg Allman is unfortunately being forced to cancel his August 26 through September 15 concert dates. Some of these dates will be rescheduled for later in the year. Allman had to cancel four dates at the end of his four week European tour in June due to an upper respiratory condition. His doctor hoped that with rest, he’d get better, but unfortunately the issue has persisted. Treatment is going to involve several days of hospitalization and 4 – 6 weeks of bed rest at home. Allman continues to recover from his successful liver transplant and expects to return to touring in support of his highly acclaimed “Low Country Blues” album in the late fall. On the eve of World Hepatitis Day, Allman, a spokesperson for the Tune in to Hep-C campaign, hosted a benefit at the Beacon Theatre on July 27. The event starred The Allman Brothers Band and featured fellow spokesperson Natalie Cole as well as special guests Phil Lesh (Grateful Dead), David Crosby and Graham Nash. They all performed on the finale joined by ZZ Top’s Billy Gibbons, for a rousing rendition of “Will the Circle Be Unbroken,” as the entire show was simulcast on Sirius/XM Radio. The event raised over a quarter million dollars to support the American Liver Foundation and the National Viral Hepatitis Roundtable.
McCartney hits a Home Run at Great American Ballpark
Paul McCartney at Great American Ballpark
Cincinnati’s Great American Ballpark is a perfect place for a left hander. It was built with the thought that one of baseball’s great left hand hitters, Ken Griffey Jr. may someday break the home run record there.
So it was only fitting that on Thursday evening The Great American Ballpark hosted music’s greatest left hander, Paul McCartney, (Jimi Hendrix’s fans may disagree) to the first concert event in the park’s history.
The sold out audience was awarded with a night of perfection. The weather was beautiful, and the staff at Great American could not have been more organized or accommodating. It was obvious they too were enjoying the exciting atmosphere as much as the fans who had gathered to see the former Beatle make his first visit to Cincinnati since 1993 when “The New World Tour” played Riverfront Stadium eighteen years ago.
Having been a solo act for forty one years now, there is nothing like a McCartney show. He is a perfectionist whose sound check is like a another show as every instrument, light and sound is tested to insure ultimate sound quality.
The audience mix is different from other concerts. There are people of all ages, gender and musical tastes filled with excitement and anticipation to see the McCartney the legend. The man who with his three Beatle band mates created the rock star phenomenon.
McCartney is a master of music and a brilliant performer. He walked onto the stage around 8:15 wearing a red sport jacket and Beatle boots, and waving to the crowd.
The moment had arrived,an the arena was filled was a rush of excitement and screams of joy. With his “Hello Cincinnati” and a mention of his red attire in honor of the home of the Reds the show began. He opened with “Hello/Goodbye” and the journey through his massive catalogue of Beatle, Wings, and individual songs that the entire world has grown up listening and singing regardless of age, provided an evening of nostalgia and musical excellence.
At sixty nine years old, McCartney has aged gracefully. He still has great energy, a strong voice and good looks. Maybe there is something to his vegetarian diet or the fact that he has amassed millions of dollars since his early twenties.
He plays non stop for nearly three hours without even a drink of water. He comments on the subject in his tour program, “It goes back to the past. Could you ever imagine Elvis or the Beatles stopping mid show? The school we come from just gets on, plays and gets off.
Having seen many of his shows throughout the years, McCartney seems to enjoy his shows and interacting with his audience more than in the past. His commentary between songs was both interesting and witty.
After the song “Ms. Vanderbilt”, he mentioned, “It was fun to see the crowd in Hungary dancing to the chorus and it was voted the number one Paul McCartney song in that country.”
He joked with his fans about the signs they bring to his shows,when he said, “ I have to decide should I read them or not.” He mentioned one show where a female fan held up a sign asking him to sign her butt. “Well lets have a look at it” he joked.
When he finished playing “Blackbird”, he told of how the chords to the song came about saying, “George and I were trying to play a song by J.S.Bach and ended up with the chords to this song”.
The performance was full of highlights featuring rarely played Beatle songs, “Helter Skelter”, “I Got A Feeling”, “I Will” and “A Day in the Life” to name a few.
He dedicated songs to his late bandmates, “Here Today” a tribute to John Lennon and playing “Something” on the ukulele that was given to him by George Harrison while a video of Harrison played on the video screen creating a perfect illustration of a deep friendship.
The real fun was observing the audience when he played , “Hey Jude”, “Let it Be“,Get Back” and other classic songs, men in their late sixties were waving the peace sign, teenagers arm in arm, joined together singing and dancing to the music. Watching the joy on people’s faces as they recognized the beginning notes of each song provided as much entertainment as the music itself.
The stage added to the show with its stunning lights, and large video screen complete with amazing video choreography to each song. Many times I found myself watching the screens instead of the actually band.
As I walked around the ballpark at field level and the first sections of the concourse the sound was excellent. I can’t speak for the upper levels, but I was quite impressed with the ballpark’s acoustics.
McCartney has assembled an excellent band of musicians. Brian Ray and Rusty Anderson shared solos on guitars perfectly duplicating and expanding on every song.
Drummer, Abe Laboriel Jr., was a rhythmic wizard and also added his amazing backup vocals to many of the songs. This band has musically supported McCartney since 2002.
Keyboardist, Paul Wickens is a longtime band member playing with McCartney since 1989.
If you close your eyes and listen to these guys you would not know it’s not the Beatles or Wings playing with McCartney.
The show consisted of 35 songs. Which included two triple song encores. Finishing with the song of the night “Golden Slumbers”. The setlist was possibly the best I have ever seen, but with a catalogue like McCartney’s you could do a three day show and still not play all his hits.
This show ended the “On The Run Tour” for the U.S. It began what should be a new era for The Great American Ballpark. The facility and its organizers have to be pleased with the results of this show.
As for Paul McCartney, his energy and popularity should allow him to tour into his seventies if he so chooses. Based on his performance on this tour, I forecast that it will happen. However, if I were you, I would jump on a ticket to his next show. Like fine wine, this guy gets better with age.
Paul McCartney
Paul McCartney
To see more photos: http://albums.phanfare.com/isolated/NOhQTTnJ/1/5229166
My Morning Jacket Take Over YouTube’s Homepage, Premiere Video for “Holdin On To Black Metal”
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Nederlander Entertainment and Production Simple Present… Stone Temple Pilots WQMF 30th Anniversary Concert Series September 14, 2011 – Iroquois Amphitheater
Stone Temple Pilots
Nederlander Entertainment and Production Simple are proud to present Stone Temple Pilots on September 14 at Iroquois Amphitheater as part of the WQMF 30thAnniversary Concert Series. Tickets, $55 in advance and $60 day of show, will be go on sale this Saturday, August 6 at 10:00 AM at all Ticketmaster locations including select Kroger stores, online at Ticketmaster.com.com or by phone at 1-800-745-3000.
Since the moment they appeared on the scene in the early 90’s, Stone Temple Pilots dominated the decade from start to finish, racking up 15 singles on the Billboard Top Ten, winning a “Best Hard Rock Performance” GRAMMY in 1994 for “Plush,” and having their five albums sell more than 35 million copies worldwide. Of all their peers, STP alone had sustained commercial success, earning greater critical acclaim with each release, building a body of work that remains popular and its enduring acclaim has only highlighted the absence of the band, who quietly went their separate ways after the turn-of the millennium release of Shangri-La Dee Da. Despite the presence of the greatest hits album Thank You in 2003, there was a generation that has never witnessed the live power of the vocalist Scott Weiland, guitarist Dean DeLeo, bassist Robert DeLeo and drummer Eric Kretz live in concert. That all changed when the band reunited for a massive concert tour in 2008. The band continued to tour continually working on new material. The culmination of this work was unleashed on May 25, 2010 with their sixth release the aptly named album “Stone Temple Pilots” via Atlantic Records.
Nederlander Entertainment and Production Simple present Stone Temple Pilots on September 14 at Iroquois Amphitheater. Tickets, $55 in advance and $60 day of show, will be go on sale this Saturday, August 6 at 10:00 AM at all Ticketmaster locations including select Kroger stores, online at Ticketmaster.com.com or by phone at 1-800-745-3000.
The Jayhawks with Jessica Lea Mayfield to play Friday, October 14th
Friday, October 14th @ 8pm The W.L. Lyons Brown Theatre All Ages Reserved Seating $25 Gold Circle $35 Tickets On Sale 8/5 @10am Tickets can be purchased at The Kentucky Center box office, http://www.kentuckycenter.org or by phone (502) 584-7777, (800) 775-7777 or TTY (502) 562-0730
The Jayhawks were definitely swimming against the tide when they emerged from a crowded Minneapolis music scene halfway through the 1980s — a memorable decade that saw the likes of the Replacements, Soul Asylum, Husker Du and Prince put Minnesota on the musical map in a big way. Forging a rootsy sound that wasn’t quite rock or country — “Hank Williams on speed” somebody once memorably called it — The Jayhawks quickly turned into one of the most important bands of the post-punk era. Over the course of two decades, several albums, countless memorable live shows and enough personal drama to fill a couple of Behind the Music episodes, this beloved band soared to heights few ever achieve while wining the hearts and minds of numerous critics, fans and peers in the process. Named after “The Hawks” — as in “Levon and the Hawks,” the name of Dylan’s backing band in the 60s before they became known as “The Band” — The Jayhawks and their fellow travelers even helped make the world safe again for artists who weren’t afraid to fuse traditional rock, country and folk influences into something that was both timeless and modern, just like the best American bands always have. Formed by Mark Olson, Gary Louris, Marc Perlman and Norm Rogers in early 1985, The Jayhawks original members all came from a variety of Minneapolis bands toiling away in the hyperactive local club scene at the time. Prolific and highly motivated, the band amassed a staggering number of original songs in a very short time, culminating with a self-released eponymous debut album in 1986. After a tumultuous period that found the band actively seeking a recording contract, The Jayhawks finally landed with Twin/Tone Records, the seminal Minneapolis indie label that released early records by the Replacements and Soul Asylum. Blue Earth, released in 1989, was a quantum leap forward from the first album and garnered widespread positive reviews. It also caught the ear of Def American producer/A&R rep George Drakoulias, who legendarily heard Blue Earth playing in the background during a call to the Twin/Tone offices. Frustrated by the major label rat race, founding member Mark Olson suddenly quit the band in late 1995, shocking fans and fellow band members alike. Olson packed up and headed to the Mojave Desert with his new wife, singer Victoria Williams, to embark on a solo career unencumbered by the restrictions inherent to the corporate music business. Louris and the rest of the band laid low for a while and then surprised nearly everyone by continuing on without Olson while keeping the band name. Augmented by Kraig Johnson (Run Westy Run) and Jessy Greene (Geraldine Fibbers), and paying little heed to their previous playbook, The Jayhawks released Sound of Lies in 1997, a dark, moody modern pop masterpiece that evoked fond memories of everything from Big Star to The Beatles. After a revelatory acoustic tour in 2003 with the core trio of Louris, Perlman and O’Reagan, the next chapter in The Jayhawks Saga found them retrenching somewhat to the “classic” sound of their earlier albums. Sparingly produced by Ethan Johns, Rainy Day Music was chock full of catchy songs (“Save It For a Rainy Day,” “Tailspin”) that tied together sounds and influences from every chapter of the band’s career. The band — now reduced to a trio, supplemented by touring member Stephen McCarthy, a veteran roots rocker (Long Ryders) and talented multi-instrumentalist — mounted the heaviest touring schedule and promotional blitz of their career, resulting in their highest charting album ever. Sadly, the momentum couldn’t be sustained and one of the most exciting American bands in recent history quietly went on hiatus in 2004. The ensuing years found Louris, Perlman and O’Reagan embarking on a variety of endeavors; all three have released solo projects in recent years. Louris also kept busy with a multitude of songwriting collaborations, production work, soundtracks and even the revival of longtime side-project, Golden Smog, a proverbial “supergroup” featuring members of Soul Asylum, Wilco and Big Star, as well as Jayhawkers Perlman and Johnson. Significantly, after years of estrangement, Olson and Louris finally reunited for a couple of well-received tours, followed by Ready For the Flood in 2009, their first full length studio venture together in 15 years. Even though the door to the future was never officially closed, long time fans were still surprised — and overjoyed — with the news in 2008 that the Tomorrow the Green Grass-era lineup of the band with Mark Olson would be reuniting for some summer festival shows in Europe. The good news kept on coming in 2009 with more reunion shows and the release of the band’s first retrospective, The Jayhawks Anthology, a multi-disc collection personally supervised by Louris that featured key tracks from all phases of the bands career, a disc of rarities and a DVD. 2010 saw the long awaited re-release of the bands long out-of-print, highly collectable first album, as well as the launch of a massive reissue project of all the band’s major label albums. During June 2010, the “classic” lineup of the band performed a three night stand at Minneapolis’ legendary First Ave. club, the scene of so many great Jayhawks memories over the last quarter century. Anyone who was lucky enough to have witnessed any of those recent shows knows all too well that the spirit of this essential American band is alive and well. http://jayhawksofficial.com/ Produced by The Kentucky Center & Production Simple For more info on these and other shows check out our website at http://www.productionsimple.com
Scene and Heard 
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